Ripped Petal's Fall But A New One Will Grow
by B.N.J. Winn
Summary: HIATUS!:: AerithXTifa: Almost a year has gone by since Aerith died, but rumour of her return has came out, and how she has seperated her self from the past. Note: Remember, this story is a year into the future. Personalitys have changed.
1. Old & New

Chapter One:  
Old & New  
  
"Lisa, get your ass in here now!" screamed Tifa. Lisa came running through the door to the bars back kitchen, to find an excited Tifa fanning the burnt hamburger meat on the stove. Lisa gulped. "What the hells your problem? I didn't heir you to run off and leave food on the stove." She glared and dumped the scorched meat into the trash. "I'm so sorry Tifa!" yelped Lisa. "I only left for a-" "Oh shut up! You were off flirtin' with those fucking bar whores again. You fuck up one more time, your ass is out the door, understood?" "Yes ma'am." Lisa said as she cleaned the grease off the stove, trying to advert Tifa's eyes as she exited the kitchen into the bar area.  
Tifa sighed as she hurriedly fixed drinks for demanding drunken customers. She had moved into Midgards slums, where now, she owned a bar. It had been a year since Jenova and her adventures, but as I said a year, she knew her fun was over. She had separated her self, reluctantly writing a letter to Barret once and a while. Cloud had left to over sea's, Vincent back to his dungeon in his dreams, and the rest were just totally lost to her, never knowing what had became of them. She yearned for more adventure, more exciting fights other then the occasional bar one, and listened to the adventures brought in by wanderers, who just cant shut up.  
"Miss. Lockheart?" a woman from behind her said in a familiar shrill voice. Tifa turned around quickly, to see but whom of all people, Yuffie. "Oh. fuck. why. me." she thought, as the nerdy face sat there smiling the most idiotic smile. "Long time, no see stranger." Yuffie said happily. "Why yes. very long." Tifa turned back to her kegs of beer. "What am I gonna have to do, order a beer to get you to talk to me? Maybe smack your ass like these horny old perv's?" she grinned as Tifa turned to face her. "Just what do you want, I thought your annoying thieving ass was gone from my life, for good." Yuffie lowered her eyes "Please don't tell me your STILL pissed about that." "Not really but its fun to see you give 'that look.'" Tifa laughed as Yuffie only grew more irritated. "Meet me outside at two. That's when this place closes, correct?" Tifa nodded. "I'll be there just to see what the hell you want. I know you didn't just wander up here, now did ya'?" Yuffie said nothing, and walked out the door. 


	2. Default Chapter

Chapter Two:  
Alley Way Rumors  
  
Tifa came trotting outside in her usual attire companied by a jacket. "And why the jacket? Your already under dressed!" giggled Yuffie happily. "What do you want?" Tifa lit up a cigarette and sat against the brick wall in the alley outside her bar. "Its about Aerith." Tifa immediately looked up. "She's actually alive! I saw her Tifa! She's back, at the church. But that's not all, she's with none other then." "Sephiroth." Interrupted Tifa. "How did you know?!" exclaimed a Yuffie. "It's a rumor, a cheap rumor. I've heard it from enough people already. There DEAD Yuffie." "No there not!" "I'm leaving." Tifa stood up straight, and started her way home. "If you need me, I'll be at her old house!" Tifa kept walking not looking back.  
"I'm so tired of these rumors." She thought. "There sick, and dishonoring poor, POOR Aerith!" she chuckled to her self. The hate for Aerith she had only grew over the last year. She hated her for taking Clouds love. She hated her for being so sweet. She hated her for being perfect.  
She walked inside her home, glanced around at the emptiness. A refrigerator; a stove; and a bed. Not much, but its all she had other then her bar. She locked the door, and laid on the bed. "Aerith and Sephiroth, returned?" she thought. "Why would they be together." She rolled over. "I'm acting like this is real." And she fell into her deep sleep.  
  
The next day on her way to work, it was raining and cold. She ran through the alleys and streets as fast as possible, passing the alley to Aerith's home. When she glanced to the side, she saw Aerith's deep eyes "What the hell?!" she fell backwards to the ground, slipping in a mud puddle. She sat there a second. "I'm really losing my mind." She said to her self. "No your not!" said a cheerful voice, she looked up and it was Yuffie. "God, so you really are staying at her house." She said in a strained voice as she picked her self up. "Follow me." Said Yuffie. "No. I have to go." "Tifa, please, I have something I need to show you, about Aerith." "But---" it was to late, Yuffie had already grabbed her and lead her to Aerith's lovely old home. "It's still so beautiful. I'm surprised it hasn't all been destroyed."  
Yuffie lead her to the patch of flowers, and pushed her to sit. "Not so rough!" yelled Tifa, but no response from Yuffie. Suddenly, she collapsed. "Yuffie?!" Tifa reached over and tried to shake her. "Huh.?" Yuffie sat up, looking around helplessly. "I'm sorry. that happens often." she gave her the usual smile. 


	3. Godly Suprise

Chapter 3:  
Godly Surprise  
  
"Are you sure your okay?" asked a surprised Tifa. "Yes. As I said, it happens often and only lasts maybe two seconds." She smiled happily. "You know, you smile to much." Said Tifa, and Yuffie gave her another narrow eyed look.  
"So why am I here?" stood up Tifa, only to be yanked back down. "You can't stand while we talk!" "Why the hell not?!" asked Tifa while she straightened out her jacket. "You don't understand. Aerith is still alive. But in a sense she's dead." "So you're telling me, this is for respect of the dead, for someone who's alive." "Yes. Aerith is back, but she's only a shell. I've brought you here to tell you. we have to bring back her spirit." "Okay, just for now, I'm gonna go along with you to see what pops out of your mouth next." She smiled, yet Yuffie ignored. "We need to go to the church, and see her. Then you'll believe." "Fine." They both stood, and walked.  
  
And so they walked on to the church. Tifa thinking this is crazy, while Yuffie kept silent, with a blank unreadable face. When they entered the church, there was nothing, just the same old church. "Yuffie," said a stern faced Tifa "there's nothing." "You're not looking hard enough!" she shrilled and drug her over to a statue of an Angel. "Talk to it." Said Yuffie calmly. "Umm. hi." Peeped Tifa. "Hello." Said a voice. "What the hell?!" she stepped back from the statue. "I'm up here." Tifa looked up, to see Aerith. She felt paralyzed. It was she. Staring down from the rafters. "I've missed you two." She jumped from the rafters and landed on her feet to face Tifa. "Your still so pretty." Said Aerith. "Stay here." Said a terrified Tifa. She grabbed Yuffie by the arm and threw her into a wall, all the while Aerith just staring. "Okay, you made your point, now what the fuck is going on here. That girl is dead!" exclaimed Tifa. "She's half dead." "How the fuck is she half dead." "She has no spirit, as I told you before. She cannot be killed fully. She is a lost angel." Said Yuffie so calmly, she broke Tifa down who then released her neck. "What do you need me for?" Yuffie looked her straight in the face "she needs a place to stay." "Alright. She can stay with me. I'll help you." Said Tifa so calmly. Yuffie smiled and thanked her. She told her she'd be coming by to see her, and Yuffie like the ninja she is, disappeared.  
  
As they walked to Tifa's home, Tifa kept staring at her. She was so blank, so stiff. Almost seemed like the walking dead. Yet that's what she was. The walking dead back to life. When Aerith finally looked at her, she caught hold of her eyes. They were empty to her. Where as once they were so alive. "What's wrong." Asked Aerith almost as a computer, her tone never changed. "Nothing." Said Tifa who grew stiff and clammy just hearing that voice.  
"Welcome to your new home Aerith." She threw open the door. Aerith laid on the bed, staring at her. Tifa had an enormous wave of chills run down her spine, from just watching her lay there. "I don't even know why I said yes to this. Why did I damn it." she stood there still staring. "I have to go now, Aerith. I'll be back at six. Don't leave this house." She spoke to her as a child. She watched the figure curl up under her sheets, almost innocent like, and she left. 


	4. Bar Talk

Chapter Four:  
Bar Talk  
  
"So there I was. Serving customers in my bar like usual and in walks Yuffie. Crashing my whole life down to bit within a two day period." Tifa thought to her self, sitting in the back kitchen fiddling with a straw in a beer. "Miss. Lockheart!" squalled Lisa. "I'm here!" she said with a smile, sitting her baggage down on the floor. "Lisa, your working the bar today. You burn to much meat." Said Tifa with a sigh, staring at the straw, twisting it and turning it aimlessly. "Are you ok?" Lisa walked towards her. "You know, if anything's wrong, I'm always here for you." She gave her another big smile. "Thanks Lisa," she looked at her with a forced smile "I'll remember that." Lisa rubbed Tifa's shoulder, and walked into the main bar area.  
"Hey Lisa, where's sexy little Tifa! No one wants your scrawny ass!" cried out a man from the dark area of the bar. Lisa stuck her nose up, "Oh leave me alo-" "Say something else to her," interrupted Tifa. "And I'll knock your ass out." Tifa walked from the kitchen door beside Lisa. "Thank you Miss. Lockheart!" she giggled like a ninny. "Your wel." "You've never been nice to me!" "Well." "Your so sweet!" "Would you stop interrupting me?!" said Tifa. "Sorry." Lisa looked away and began mixing drinks again. "I want to see you before you leave." Said Tifa, and walked back in the kitchen.  
  
Six O'clock came, and in walked Lisa. "Everyone's gone early tonight." Said Lisa, walking towards a chair. "Figures, it's Sunday." Said Tifa, lighting a cigarette watching Lisa. "All the drunks are off to church." Winked Tifa, but Lisa only stared. "What's wrong Miss. Lockheart? Your not your usual cranky overbearing self." She smiled. "Thanks, you're so sweet." Tifa grinned, still watching Lisa. "I didn't mean it in a bad way, I actually like it. Your so strong." Lisa said turning away. "Now what's the matter?" "A ghost has walked back in my life." Tifa sighed, plucking the ashes of her cigarette onto the floor. "Do you remember me telling you about Aerith, after all those rumors started flying?" asked Tifa. "Yes ma'am." "Well guess what, when I left she was curled in my bed sleeping." And she went on to tell the complete story. "That's weird. But why did you talk to an Angel?" asked Lisa. She had moved over the floor in front of Tifa, interested like a little child hearing a fairy tale. "I don't know. As I said, she's different, has no personality." "Are you going to talk to Miss. Yuffie?" "Again, I don't know. I need to. She's acting weird as well. She said Sephiroth was alive too, but since then she hasn't mentioned him." Said Yuffie, looking away from the innocent blue eyes. "Was Aerith with him?" asked Lisa. "That's what she said. Lisa, would you do something for me?" asked Tifa, now staring back into her eyes. "Sure!" squalled Lisa. "Fuck me, so I can forget about this for a little while." Said Tifa, with no change in facial expression. Lisa's eyes grew wide, as the dark haired figure moved down from her chair and crawled on top of her. 


End file.
